Midwest, West highest in contemplating suicide

ATLANTA (AP) — Health officials say more adults in the Midwest and West have suicidal thoughts than people in the rest of the country, but Rhode Island leads in suicide attempts.

Researchers on Thursday released the first government study to offer a state-by-state look at suicidal thoughts and attempts. The report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is based on confidential surveys of more than 90,000 people.

The study doesn’t answer why people in some places think about suicide more than others.

Serious thoughts of suicide range from about 1 in 50 adults in Georgia to 1 in 15 in Utah. For suicide attempts, the range goes from 1 in 1,000 adults in Georgia and Delaware to 1 in 67 in Rhode Island.
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Online: CDC report: http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr